Vanished Noah
by Allen the Musician
Summary: Even now he was forming a plan to escape from the Millennium Earl and save the only person in the world that he still cared about. The Musician would be a slave to the Earl no longer but instead would flee and forge a new life. And a plan. 14th Noah fic
1. Traitor Noah

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter One - Traitor Noah

The Fourteenth Noah fell to the floor, clutching the sides of his head with his hands and opening his mouth in a silent scream. He had just stumbled upon something that he had never been intended to hear and it felt as though his heart were breaking. Shattering into countless pieces. For the first time since he ascended to his powers and was welcomed into the Clan of Noah the true horror of what he did was hitting home.

Anyone who entered the room right now would find it a strange sight to see the man, dressed in a tuxedo complete with a top hat, kneeling on the floor as though he were in utter agony. And that was the only way to describe his current condition.

Utter agony.

Mana, his beloved older brother and the only one who had ever understood his pressing need to play the piano, was now a target of the Millennium Earl and the Noah. It seemed that they were growing tired of sharing his allegiance with the man and wanted him dead. Judging by the conversation that he had just overheard it seemed that they intended to carry out their plans as soon as possible.

And it was only by sheer luck that he had learned of the plans.

If only he'd severed ties with his brother as he'd been ordered to when he first arrived. It would have secured his brother's future however the Fourteenth had been unable to just disappear. He cared for his brother too much to ever hurt him like that.

And now that would come back to haunt him.

When he had first joined up with the Millennium Earl it was soon after he had lost his parents. They had both been talented Magicians, not the fake side show kind, but the real kind. However for reasons that he had never understood they had refused to use their talents and had instead eked out a living as street performers.

Such an ignoble existence.

He seemed to have inherited their talents and had been sought out by the Millennium Earl and deemed one of the special, one of those chosen by God himself. He had been told that he possessed the genes of Noah, mankind's greatest apostle, and could therefore make the world a better place. The Fourteenth had so wanted to believe and had followed along willingly enough.

Mana of course had possessed the common sense to try and stop him but he had refused to listen. The Millennium Earl had been offering him a better world and he had jumped at the opportunity to help bring that new world about.

Now he was nauseous and fully conscious to the sins that he had committed for the very first time. The Millennium Earl didn't want to make a better world, he wanted to completely and utterly destroy it. Removing his hands from the sides of his head and gazing down at them all the Fourteenth could see was blood. He was wearing a pair of white gloves and yet all that he could see was red. His hands, hands meant to make beautiful music, were stained with the blood of the innocent.

Yes, how could he have lost sight of the fact that he was a born musician? Even in his Noah persona that trait had reigned supreme. He was known as The Musician and was one of the few beings capable of moving Noah's Ark. His Song, played on the piano, was enough to travel through time and space its self.

And his Song had been used for murder.

_"I have to stop this," _he mouthed, getting slowly to his feet and dusting the dirt from the legs of his trousers. He had regained most of his composure at this point and his customary calm demeanor had returned to him. A plan was slowly forming in his mind. The Earl had to be stopped and the Fourteenth had an idea as to how to go about this. It would be much harder for the Earl to complete his plans without the Ark.

He had to find a way to disable it.

To make it so that it only responded to his Song.

"They will not take you away from me Mana," the Fourteenth whispered as he made his way through the vast mansion that the Earl called his home. None of the Akuma that lined the halls and worked as servants thought twice about the fact that he was here. He was one of their masters and of course he had free reign of the mansion. No one would question him or make any attempt to stop his plan.

No one would even know about it until it was too late and by then he would be long gone and Mana along with him. His brother was the one soul who had always believed in him and had pushed him to follow his dreams, even when others said that they were foolish.

How could he have forgotten that?

Seeking to take that person away from him had been a mistake and if the Fourteenth had anything to say about it, it would be the last one that the Earl ever made. Yes, somehow his plans of disabling the Ark and fleeing with Mana had evolved into a plan to kill the Millennium Earl. But first he had to make sure that the Ark couldn't be controlled by anyone other than himself.

_"I will always protect you Mana,"_ he silently vowed as he walked through the mansion.

He had put his brother in danger by his selfish and foolish actions however the Fourteenth was determined to make things right. Or at the very least as right as they could be considering how many people's blood his hands were stained with. While it was true that he had never taken a life with his own hands that didn't decrease his level of responsibility. He had worked alongside the Earl and the Clan of Noah and was just as responsible for the atrocities as were the ones who had actually ended the lives of the innocents.

"I know that I will never again be clean," the Fourteenth said in a quiet voice, clenching his hands into fists as he walked down the corridor. "But I will not allow them to harm Mana because of me."

His brother had absolutely nothing to do with it and he would not allow Mana to come to harm because of his stupidity. He would find a way to protect the one person on the planet that he still cared for and nothing, not even death, would stop him.

Completely lost in his thoughts the Fourteenth traveled almost silently down the corridor, making his way to the entrance of the Ark. You had to be one of the Chosen to even enter the vessel and of course he had absolutely no trouble. Navigating the familiar terrain with ease he made his way to the special room that was solely his. He was the only one who ever entered this room and it held special significance to him.

Inside was nothing except a piano with reverse keys, black where they should be white and white where they should be black, and a small stool on which to sit while you played.

Sealing himself inside this room so that no one could disturb him the Fourteenth prepared the spell that would forever seal the Ark from the powers of the Millennium Earl, as well as the powers of the First Child. Once this spell had been completed nothing except his Song would be able to activate the Ark.

Despite himself a smirk appeared on his face.

Muttering the incantation to himself the Fourteenth made his way around his special room, his eyes half closed. This spell was fairly complex however the thought of failure never even entered into his mind. Of course it would work and the Earl would know who was responsible. He would have to flee with his brother until he came up with a suitable plan to destroy the Earl. Mana's safety had to come first but he knew that, once his brother was safely away from the Earl and the other Noah, he would return and seek his vengeance.

Once the spell was complete the Fourteenth sat down at the white piano stool and poised his hands over the keys. Taking a deep breath he began to play, allowing the soothing music to carry his soul away and cleanse him of all of the horrors of his current situation.

Playing the Song had always brought him comfort and he desperately needed that comfort right now.

After the first few notes the Fourteenth began to sing softly to himself. He could feel the power of the Ark building, responding to the Song, and he knew that his spell had been a success. And, acting completely on a whim, he decided to move the Ark. It wasn't enough just to disable it he was going to remove it from the Earl's reach as well.

The Fourteenth well knew that he was as good as signing his death warrant but he found that he didn't care. And he really wished that he could be around to see the look on the Millennium Earl's face when he realized that the Ark was gone.

He would find it of course but when he did he would prove unable to operate it. Which would thoroughly piss him off.

Using the notes of his Song the Fourteenth controlled the Ark and moved it from it's resting place. He didn't really have any clear cut plans for what to do with it; he just wanted to get it out of the hands of the Earl and the Noah.

He could care less what happened to it after that.

Once he left the Ark it would be permanently. When the Earl found out what he had done the Fourteenth had no doubts that he would attempt to force him to undo it and he was determined not to allow that to happen. He would die before he fell back under that man's control.

It was over.

A/N - I wanted to write something for the Musician and this is the end result. It's going to be a chapter fic involving him and Mana, as well as the Earl cause we all know how this has to end. Hope you enjoyed, please leave a review and tell me what you thought. Til next we meet, this is Hitsu-taichou signing out.


	2. Runaway Noah

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Two - Runaway Noah

As the final notes of the Song faded into oblivion the Fourteenth felt a strange sensation wash over him as he removed his hands from the black and white keys. Reaching up with one gloved hand he wiped at his eyes and when he pulled his hand away he discovered moisture on the tips of his fingers.

Had he really just been crying?

This thought disgusted him somewhat. He hadn't shed a tear in years and yet now he was crying like some infant. It didn't really make any sense but he didn't really have the time to hang around and debate the cause of his tears. He had to get away from this area. . . and fast.

The Fourteenth had no plans for Noah's Ark aside from getting it out of the hands of the Millennium Earl and, as a result of this lack of a plan, the young man merely abandoned the Ark. He was certain that no one aside from him would be able to operate it from this day forth so there really was no danger in abandoning it. It wouldn't matter if it were found by the Noah or by the Exorcists, neither group would be able to make use of it without him and he planned to be long gone before they found it.

From this day forward the Ark would be forever tied to Edo and would not be able to travel anywhere else unless he himself allowed it, which of course he had absolutely no plans to do. He would keep a low profile until he had a solid plan of action. The Millennium Earl and the Clan of Noah wouldn't see him again until he was fully prepared to set his plan into motion.

Then they would rue the day that they had ever met him.

Upon leaving the Ark the Fourteenth lost his Noah appearance and reverted to the features that he had been born with. The diamond shaped stigmata that decorated his forehead vanished as his skin lightened and his eyes changed from gold to cool gray.

This form was preferable to the Fourteenth since it didn't draw so much attention to him. He would be better able to blend into the crowd and the Earl's henchmen would have a much more difficult time finding him. Removing his top hat with a flourish the Fourteenth ran a hand through his mahogany hair. It was shorter now than when he was a boy and curled at the ends. This gave him a charmingly disheveled look that he had to admit he was kind of fond of.

And the women loved it.

With a roguish smile he placed the top hat back on his head and then gazed around at his surroundings briefly before departing the site where he was abandoning the Ark.

The sun was shining brightly overhead as the Fourteenth began his journey however the brightness of his surroundings did absolutely nothing to improve upon the young man's mood. His mind was concentrating, forming a plan, and he paid little attention to his surroundings.

The time would come when he would have to be constantly on guard but before that his crime would have to be discovered. Not enough time had passed for that to be the case and the Fourteenth was not yet on the alert. It would come soon enough but by that time he hoped to have a plan formed.

And his brother hidden from his enemies.

Walking along a dusty road out in the middle of nowhere the Fourteenth absently reached a hand into the pocket of his top coat and felt his fingers wrap around a small stack of letters. The letters that Mana had sent to him during the few months that they had been apart.

Pulling the letters from his pocket the Fourteenth knew that he would make a strange spectacle to anyone who happened to see him walking down this lonely stretch of road. Wearing black trousers, a white button down shirt, black vest, bowtie, top coat and top hat he seemed more prepared for a fancy ball than a journey.

But that didn't matter to him right now.

Taking the top most letter from the stack, which were held together by a rubber band, the young man pulled the piece of paper from it's envelope and carefully unfolded it. His gray eyes scanned the paper quickly before he refolded the paper and replaced it with the others. Mana was traveling through England right now, having taken after their parents and inherited their love of travel.

The Fourteenth didn't think that it would be particularly difficult to find his older brother since he had always been very attuned to Mana. It was just a matter of keeping out of sight while he tracked his brother's movements. And if all else failed then he could always follow the Akuma.

The Earl had issued a death sentence for Mana, after all, and the Akuma would be more than eager to track down the man and end his life. They would have the mistaken idea that this action would gain them favor with the Earl but the Fourteenth knew different.

The Millennium Earl didn't function like that.

The only ones who truly curried his favor were the members of the Clan of Noah and then only so long as they abided by his wishes. He would no longer be one of the Chosen and as a result would also be under a death sentence. But that wasn't something that he could think about right now. In the current moment it was more important for him to find and protect his brother.

Everything else could wait.

The Fourteenth knew that his next move was risky however he was in a hurry to return to his brother and thus the move was necessary. Using his powers as a Noah he returned to the realm ruled by the Earl and, from there, traveled to England. That was the secret for how they managed to get around so quickly. The First Child had set up gateways to various locations and they used those to travel back and forth.

The Akuma servants still bowed respectfully as he passed so the Fourteenth guessed that his treachery had yet to be discovered. _"This is great," _he thought to himself, a smirk spreading across his face as he walked toward a door that he knew would take him to England.

Gripping the handle the Fourteenth opened the door silently and stepped inside. The feeling of traveling this way was weird and the Fourteenth had never particularly enjoyed it however you couldn't beat it when you were in a hurry to get somewhere. When he reached the end of the long tunnel there was another door through which the Fourteenth stepped without hesitation.

Now in London and once again in his human form the Fourteenth began making his way down the city streets, his eyes searching for any signs of traveling performers. Mana had enjoyed that insipid lifestyle and continued to perform even after the deaths of their parents.

Sometimes his brother was just weird.

_"Where are you Mana?" _the Fourteenth thought to himself as he walked down the street, bowing to the occasional lady that he passed. _"I don't really have time to play hide and seek with you. There are some rather important things that I have to tell you and time is a factor."_

And in that moment, as though in answer to an unspoken prayer, a level two Akuma appeared around a corner. The Akuma was disguised as the human that had summoned it back to the world of the living, so as not to cause a panic with the humans, but the Fourteenth recognized it for what it was.

That was one of the benefits of being of the Clan of Noah.

Ducking out of sight the Fourteenth decided to follow the Akuma. The fact that it had just popped up, in the city where he knew his brother was, could not possibly be a coincidence. Making the decision to follow the Akuma the Fourteenth slipped along, blending into the crowd.

Luckily for him the Akuma was stupid and didn't even realize that it was being followed.

_"This is great," _the Fourteenth thought to himself as he followed the Akuma down the sidewalk. At first he had made an attempt to hide his presence from the Akuma but it had soon became obvious that the effort was not necessary. The Akuma seemed to have a one track mind and wasn't even bothering to look behind him. It really was perfect.

Luck was once again on the Fourteenth's side and the Akuma led him to the location of a small traveling circus. A roguish smile appeared on his face as the Fourteenth surveyed his surroundings. It was so like Mana to be found in a place like this.

The Akuma walked around to a small trailer and then took up a position beside the door, poised to attack as soon as the occupant set foot outside the trailer.

"Not very damn likely," the Fourteenth said, holding one gloved hand aloft.

The door of the trailer opened and, just as the Akuma made to attack, the Fourteenth snapped his fingers. That was another advantage to being a Noah; all of the Akuma came with a self destruct button and they and the Earl were the only ones who could activate it.

The man who was emerging from the trailer was thrown back a few feet by the force of the blast. Recovering quickly he jumped to his feet and gazed around, searching for the cause of the blast. His gaze fell briefly upon the charred remains of the Akuma before they shifted to the spot where the Fourteenth was standing.

The man's eyes widened in shock.

Were his eyes deceiving him or could it really be. . .

A/N - and there's chapter two. I took some liberties with this character but since so little is known oh well. Hope you enjoyed, please leave a review and tell me how I'm doing. Hitsu-taichou


	3. Reunited Noah

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Three - Reunited Noah

"Allen!" the man exclaimed as his eyes fell upon the young man who was standing a couple of yards away from his trailer, his white gloved hand still held up in the air. So excited was he to see this shadowy figure that he no longer thought anything about the remains of the Akuma that lay smoldering beside his trailer. "Allen, is that really you?"

Removing his top hat with a little flourish the Fourteenth bowed low to his brother and then offered him a rather roguish grin. Excited beyond words to see his little brother after his long absence Mana descended the makeshift steps that led up to his trailer and then ran over and embraced the boy.

"Hello Mana," the Fourteenth said in his soft edged voice, looking down at his brother ever so slightly. It had always irritated Mana that his little brother was taller than he was and the Fourteenth loved it and never failed to rub it in.

Mana's eyes were shining with unshed tears as he gazed at his seventeen year old brother but he refused to let them fall. Allen had disappeared months ago and Mana had been afraid that something bad had happened to him and yet here he was. As though out of nowhere. For the briefest of moments he thought that he might be looking at a ghost and he rubbed his eyes and looked again. He was still there and still grinning. "So what brings you here Allen?"

"Do I need a reason to visit my favorite brother?" the Fourteenth asked, placing his top hat back on his mahogany hair.

"Not usually," Mana replied, his gaze locked firmly on the face of his brother. He could tell, by the look in Allen's eyes, that something was indeed wrong with his brother and he wanted to know what it was. The boy had always been one to hide his problems from everyone however this time Mana was determined to find out what was wrong. It was just the protective older brother in him coming out. "But I know that look Allen. What's eating away at your soul?"

The Fourteenth couldn't tell his brother about the sins that he was guilty of, no matter how much he may want to. He couldn't handle his brother looking at him with disgust in his eyes; scorn from anyone else he could deal with just fine but Mana was different. He hated the fact that Mana had always been able to see through his lies merely by gazing into his eyes but there was nothing that he could do about it at this point.

And Mana had a right to know that he was being targeted by the Millennium Earl.

"It seems that you were right when you told me that I was falling in with the wrong crowd," the Fourteenth admitted, hating to admit to even this much. He felt extremely guilty over the fact that Mana had warned him, had tried to stop him from making the mistake that had brought him to this point.

"What happened?" Mana was instantly concerned and he placed one hand on each of his brother's shoulders. "Allen, if they hurt you. . ."

"Mana. . ." The Fourteenth made an attempt to break into his brother's rants however Mana didn't seem to hear him.

"in any way then I swear by all that's holy. . ."

"Um excuse me. . ."

Still no luck. "I'll kill every single one of those bastards."

Now the Fourteenth was shocked and his eyes revealed that shock. It was very rare for his refined older brother to use profanity which was a testament to how much he truly meant the words that he had spoken. "Mana!"

Mana finally ceased his rant and refocused his gaze on his brother. "Yes?"

_"He's acting like that whole rant never even happened," _the Fourteenth thought to himself and he found that he couldn't keep the smile from appearing on his face. Not the amused smirk or the roguish grin that he normally wore but a full fledged smile.

He hadn't worn one of those in years.

"They didn't do anything to me," The Fourteenth assured his brother, choosing to omit the word 'yet'. But he was thinking it. "But they have decided that you're somewhat of a nuisance."

"Me?" Mana said, his eyes wide and confused. "What could I have possibly done to them?"

"It wasn't you," the Fourteenth said, the smile instantly disappearing from his face as he thought about the situation that he had gotten his brother into. Guilt burned in his gray eyes as he gazed at the one person on the planet who meant a damn to him. "It's my fault Mana. They're after you because you're my brother. I'm so sorry."

Mana's eyes widened in surprise as tears actually appeared in Allen's eyes. To his knowledge his brother hadn't cried in years and he found it hard to believe what his eyes were telling him. Gripping the boy's shoulders hard Mana said, "We'll deal with this."

Mana's words served to help the Fourteenth regain his composure and he nodded. "I don't have a plan yet but I'm working on one. For now I think it would be best if you and I made ourselves scarce."

Mana didn't really like the thoughts of running from anyone but he could tell, from the look in Allen's eyes, that this situation was serious. For his brother's sake he would set aside his pride and run. Together they would go into hiding. "Just let me grab my few measly belongings."

"I'm truly sorry," the Fourteenth whispered, hating the fact that his brother had to be displaced because of his stupidity.

"Don't worry about it," Mana called out over his shoulder. "It's not like it's that difficult to run off and join the circus. I'll find another one later."

"I still don't understand why you like this life so much," the Fourteenth said when Mana rejoined him, a small suitcase clutched in one hand. He had always hated traveling along during his childhood when his parents had been performers and simply couldn't fathom why Mana chose such a lifestyle now that he was older and had a choice.

"I don't like monotony," Mana said as he came to stand beside his brother. "With the circus I can travel around and see the world."

The Fourteenth shrugged. He still didn't really understand so he chose to change the subject. "So is there anyone that you want to say goodbye to before we leave?"

Mana shook his head as he began to absently play with three little rubber balls that he had produced from out of nowhere. "I'm not really big on goodbyes. I prefer to just disappear."

The Fourteenth nodded, knowing exactly how his brother felt. He began walking away from the circus grounds, with Mana by his side, and as the two brothers walked down the same dusty road that he had traveled to get here he began to whistle. It was soft at first but then the volume picked up and before he knew it Mana was humming along with the tune.

And so they traveled, one whistling and the other humming the tune of the Fourteenth's Song.

"So Allen," Mana said after awhile, still juggling the little balls. "I've been thinking about trying my hand as a clown. What do you think?"

"I hate clowns," the Fourteenth replied without even thinking about how the words would sound.

Far from being upset by his brother's bluntness Mana actually laughed out loud. And then, without so much as a word of warning, he tossed the little colored balls in his brother's direction. Allen hadn't seen the move coming and Mana gasped in surprise as his brother seized each of the balls out of the air and effortlessly juggled them, still whistling his Song.

"I always knew that you were hiding something from me," Mana said as he watched Allen tossing the balls into the air. "So tell me, when exactly did you learn to juggle?"

"During that stupid, 'I have to be just like my big brother' phase," the Fourteenth replied as he tossed the balls back to his brother. "But I grew out of it before you found out that I was spying on you and learning your tricks."

Mana was once again forced to laugh at his roguish younger brother. Allen had always been the talented member of their family and it really was a shame that he had been relegated to playing the organ for their shows. He could have been truly great, had he possessed the inclination to do so.

"Maybe we should be traveling performers," Mana suggested, a smirk on his face. He knew how his brother would react to this proposal and despite that knowledge he couldn't resist asking the question. Sometimes his facial expressions were just too priceless.

And this was one of those times.

"Ugh, no," the Fourteenth said, wrinkling his nose at the very thought. "I know that you enjoy it and I won't hold that against you but there is absolutely no way that I will ever do something like that."

"You haven't changed a bit Allen," Mana said.

The Fourteenth knew that this wasn't true. He had changed so much that it was a miracle that Mana recognized him as the boy that he had been before he fell into the clutches of the Millennium Earl. Mana always saw the good in people but the Fourteenth knew that there was no longer any good left in him.

It was why he no longer used his name and merely thought of himself as the Fourteenth.

A/N - Yes I chose to give the 14th the same name as Allen. I had to call him something since I really don't think that Mana would call him the 14th and it just seemed to fit somehow. My theory being that since Allen grew up on the streets there was a good chance that Mana actually gave him his name. Anyway, true or not, that's my logic behind it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review and tell me what you thought. Hitsu-taichou


	4. Treacherous Noah

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Four - Treacherous Noah

The Millennium Earl had sent out word to all of his 'children' that they were getting together for dinner and yet, now that he surveyed the large table, he saw that one of them was missing. The Musician was noticably absent from his spot between Tyki Mikk and Road Kamelot.

"Where is the Musician?" he asked, his gaze sweeping over the group.

Each of the members of the Clan of Noah shrugged their shoulders as his gaze fell upon them. None of them had seen the Musician for several days and they had no idea where he had ran off to. But they knew that there would be hell to pay for the fact that he had ignored the Earl's summons.

He had better have a good excuse, that was all they knew.

Road jumped to her feet and twirled around, a broad smile on her childish face. "I'll go and find him Lord Millennium."

And without waiting for the Earl's approval the young girl skipped from the room. None of the others, save for maybe the Musician, would have dared to dismiss the Earl so casually but then that was the advantage to being the First Child.

The meal continued without Road and the Musician and by the time that the young Noah returned everyone was lounging about, some of them leaning back in their chairs while others slumped over the table. All eyes turned to Road when she rejoined them in the dining hall and they could tell, by the expression on her face, that whatever she had discovered was not good.

"Lord Millennium," she said, her tone far more serious than usual. "Did you authorize the use of the Ark?"

The Millennium Earl was instantly on his feet. "The Ark is missing?"

Road nodded.

Now the Musician's absence could be explained. The little rogue had taken Noah's Ark for a spin. The boy had never been one for rules but to do something like this, and without the Earl's permission.

"He must have overheard. . ." The perpetual smile on the Earl's face seemed to turn into a sneer as he gazed at the remaining Noah. "The Musician has betrayed us and taken Noah's Ark. We will find the traitor and when we do. . . I will be the one to kill him."

Eyes widened throughout the room. It was true that they were shocked by the Musician's betrayal but they were more shocked over the fact that the Millennium Earl had vowed to kill him personally. Normally he left such trifling matters in the hands of the Akuma. . . or in the case of particularly difficult opponents the Noah themselves.

The Musician had royally screwed up.

The Millennium Earl gave the remaining Noah orders to find the Musician and bring him back to face his fate. The group nodded and then set off to follow their orders, none of them looking to pleased with the situation. After all they had never been ordered to hunt one of their own before.

"Oh my!" Road exclaimed as she and Tyki left the dining hall to begin the search for their missing 'brother'. "I really liked the Musician too Tyki and now he's gonna die. Why'd he have to betray us?"

Tyki shrugged as he pulled on a pair of white gloves and prepared to go out. "If I had to guess I would say that it was because he overheard Lord Millennium's plans to kill that human."

A thoughtful expression appeared on Road's face as she thought back to one of her favorite playmates. It was true that the Musician sometimes got this far off look in his eyes and once, when she'd asked him about it, he'd told her that he was just thinking back to another life.

Damn that human for living.

If it weren't for him then this never would have happened.

"You did hear what Lord Millennium said, correct?"

"Yes Tyki," Road said with a huff. "I heard. We are to find the Musician and bring him back unharmed."

"That's right," Tyki said. "Lord Millennium wishes to deal with him personally."

Despite his rather calm and detached demeanor and words of warning to Road, Tyki wasn't looking forward to this particular task. Treachery aside he had nothing against the Musician. The two of them had actually played poker together on occassion, which was always a battle to see who could cheat the best.

He had yet to win which made it a real shame that the Musician was going to die.

* * *

"Do you even have any idea where we're going Allen?" Mana asked as he and his brother made their way through yet another town in the English countryside. They had been walking for what seemed like forever and he was growing tired.

"Far away," the Fourteenth said shortly.

He had recieved a summons by the Millennium Earl, delivered by unsuspecting Akuma, and he knew that the Earl was very close to finding out that the Ark had been taken. And seeing as he wasn't answering the summons, and there were only three beings who could operate the Ark, he was going to be prime suspect number one.

Mana was going to demand more answers from his brother until he caught a glimpse at Allen's gray eyes. There was a slight look of panic within those gray depths which Mana knew that he had never seen. Allen didn't panic easily so whatever was wrong, it was serious.

The Fourteenth's mind was racing, along with his heart. He hadn't came up with a concrete plan for how to defeat the Millennium Earl and he knew that the man, along with the entire Noah Clan, would be searching for them now.

He had to get Mana to safety before he really did manage to get his brother killed.

The Fourteenth moved a few feet away from his brother, in the hopes of better hiding his panic. He could tell that Mana had picked up on it and he desperately wanted to feign an air of calm, to make his brother think that he knew what he was doing.

"Just keep walking forward Mana," he called out over his shoulder. "Never stop, keep walking. Until the day you die."

"Right," Mana said as he followed along behind his brother. If he were to be completely honest with himself Mana would have to admit that it bothered him somewhat that his younger brother was trying to protect him as well as hide the fact that he was completely terrified. Being the protective one was supposed to be the older brother's job, and it had been back when they were young, however now Allen was seeking to fill that role. Granted he didn't know what exactly it was that they were running from but could it possibly be that bad? A quick glance forward told him that it was.

He noticed that Allen was walking rather stiffly and seemed to be extremely tense. Mana had never seen the boy as anything except confident, if not outright arrogant, and this side of him was truly disturbing. Whatever it was that they were running from was enough to put a dose of fear in his fearless younger brother and that was enough to get his attention.

* * *

Using Lero, the umbrella with the jack-o-lantern on the tip, the Millennium Earl was floating through the skies of London, searching for the missing Musician. He would find that traitorous boy and he would kill the kid with his own hands.

The Musician would rue the day that he had crossed him.

"I will find you," he said with a laugh that sounded demented. "And when I do. . ."

A/N - dun. . . dun. . . dun. . . Cue the dramatic music. The Earl and the Noah are on the hunt and the Musician and Mana are on the run. What will happen next? Stay tuned to find out.


	5. Brotherly Noah

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Five - Brotherly Noah

"You know Allen," Mana said as he and his brother made a camp fire in the small clearing that they had found in the forest that they were traveling through. "Running for our lives aside, it really is nice to be with my brother again."

The Fourteenth couldn't help rolling his eyes as he gazed over at his brother. Mana was lounging around, his back propped up against some rocks, watching as his brother tended to the fire. There was a lazy smile on his face as though he were enjoying not having to do the work for once. "Only you would say something like that Mana. You've always been the weird one."

Pulling one of the little balls from his pocket with lightening speed Mana threw it at his brother's head. He was in no way surprised when Allen seized the little ball from mid-air and began playing with it. He had pretty much known that would happen but throwing it had been an impulse that he simply couldn't resist. "YOU have the nerve to call ME the weird one?"

This question, while harmless enough, caused the Fourteenth to think back on his childhood days, when he'd been the one out of place. His parents had been gifted Magicians however had chosen to embrace a life of being traveling performers, using parlor tricks to eke out a living on the road. Mana had also enjoyed the frequent travel and performing but he himself had never particularly enjoyed it.

He had been relegated to playing the music for their performances because it was the one thing that he could be trusted to do without screwing up. He'd picked up the piano out of boredom one day, teaching himself how to play and writing his own songs. It wasn't really how his parents thought that he should be spending his time but Mana had always encouraged him.

The Fourteenth remembered the first time that he had ever placed his hands on the keys of a piano. He and his family had been visiting relatives in London; the well to do kind who were more than likely mortified that their relatives were traveling performers but were none the less too polite to say anything about it.

**Flashback**

A young boy of about five years old was sitting on a high backed chair, vaguely listening to the adults. He was dressed in his best clothing; black trousers, white shirt, black vest, and little black ribbon tied at his throat like a bow tie, and he was very uncomfortable. The child couldn't even place his feet on the ground thanks to the height of the chair and was forced to leave them hanging.

And he couldn't even swing them in order to relieve the stiffness because every time that he made such a motion his parents scolded him for fidgeting. The boy was weary of listening to the adults talk about boring things that happened long before his time and after awhile he slipped out of his chair and wandered away from the group, deciding that it might prove more fun to go exploring. He wandered around the large house until he came to a grand ballroom. The sound of the boy's footsteps echoed throughout the large room as he walked but the boy paid the noise no heed.

He walked across the room until he came to a stop in front of a grand piano. The keys appeared so shiny and, without thinking of how much trouble he could get into if the adults found him, the little boy reached up and pressed one of the keys with his index finger.

He was absolutely thrilled with the sound that the piano made.

Mana had been the one who discovered him in the ballroom and his brother had warned him that he was going to get into trouble. And yet despite this warning, after hearing the little boy play, Mana had encouraged him and helped him sneak off to play the piano whenever the opportunity presented itself.

"You're really talented," Mana had commented as he listened to a song that the Fourteenth had made up. "I definitely think that you should keep it up."

All he could do was smile.

**END FLASHBACK**

That had been the beginning of the Fourteenth's love of music and nothing, not even his induction into the Family of Noah, had came between him and his music. The music was an integral part of his being and would continue to be so until the day that he died.

"What are you thinking about Allen?"

The Fourteenth was jarred back to reality by this question posed to him by his brother. Gazing over at Mana he saw that he was once again playing with the little balls. As always there was a smile on his face however the expression in his eyes was troubled. "Just remembering the past," he replied in a quiet voice.

Still juggling the little balls, merely for the fact that he felt better when his hands were occupied, Mana glanced over at his brother. Allen was absently poking at the fire, which was roaring by this point. There was a far off look in his eyes and Mana couldn't tell if he was enjoying his memories or not. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," the Fourteenth said, forcing himself to smile. The smile came easily to him since he had so much practice with faking it. Only a handful of people had ever been able to tell that his smiles were not genuine and, even though he knew that Mana was one of these rare individuals, he still forced himself to continue with the charade.

He shouldn't be focusing on the past. Those events were long gone and it wasn't doing him any good to dwell on them. He was who he was and it was far too late to think about how it was that he had came to be this way. All that was left was for him to focus on the future.

Keep walking. Always move forward. Until the day you die.

Since his betrayal of Millennium Earl the Fourteenth had been constantly repeating this mantra, both to himself and to Mana. He was still concerned for his brother's safety and he wanted to make sure that Mana knew that they just had to keep moving.

Mana wasn't even remotely reassured by the smile that his brother offered him, he could tell that it didn't reach all the way up to his eyes, but he chose not to say anything. He was well aware of the fact that Allen was worried about what would happen to them and he didn't want to upset the boy any more than he already was. After all Allen was his brother and he would do anything for the boy.

If only he knew exactly WHAT to do to make things better for his brother.

"You should get some rest," the Fourteenth said, abruptly breaking into Mana's thoughts. "We'll leave first thing in the morning."

"Okay," Mana said, effortlessly catching each of the little colored balls and stowing them away where ever it was that he hid them when they weren't in use. The Fourteenth still had yet to figure out exactly where that was. "Then you should sleep to Allen."

"I will," the Fourteenth assured him, offering his brother another half smile.

Mana nodded and made himself as comfortable as was possible on the ground. The Fourteenth gazed at his brother for awhile and it wasn't long before Mana's breathing evened out, declaring that he had fallen asleep. The shadows from the fire danced across the man's features and the Fourteenth felt guilt envelope him once again. All of this was his fault and he couldn't even guarantee that his brother would survive the ordeal that he had thrust upon him.

"No," the Fourteenth snapped to himself, angry over these thoughts. "He WILL survive. I'll make sure of it."

No matter what happened to him the Fourteenth was determined to make sure that his brother escaped the Earl and the Noah. That was his sole purpose for continuing to move forward and failure simply wasn't an option. "I promise that I will protect you. No matter what happens."

A/N - and there's yet another chapter. I feel bad for Mana and the Fourteenth and I'm going to feel worse for them later but I really enjoy writing this fic. I hope that you really enjoy reading it, please be kind enough to leave a review and tell me what you think. The music has ended for the time being but stay tuned and it will return.

The Musician


	6. Wary Noah

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Six - Wary Noah

The Fourteenth and Mana had been doing a fairly good job of avoiding the Millennium Earl and his henchmen and as a result Mana had been in an increasingly good mood. The Fourteenth was more cautious with his optimism however he didn't mention his fears to Mana since he enjoyed seeing his brother with a real smile on his face. After all it was such a rare sight since the two of them had became fugitives from the Earl.

The two brothers were walking along a deserted road when the Fourteenth began to get the suspicion that someone was watching them. He gazed around warily but unfortunately he couldn't discover the whereabouts of whoever or whatever was spying on them.

But he knew that someone was.

"Hey Mana. . ."

Mana immediately turned to face his brother. "What is it Allen?"

The Fourteenth pointed toward a large grove of trees. "Would you mind going over there and setting up camp? I'm going to survey the area and make sure that no one undesirable is around."

"Okay," Mana said. The man could tell that there was something wrong with his brother but he knew better than to ask Allen what it was. Perhaps he would learn what it was later, if Allen decided to share it with him. But more than likely not.

The Fourteenth watched as his brother made his way over to the grove of trees and then, once Mana was out of sight, the Musician began searching his surroundings with much more scrutiny. With the help of magic he was able to track down the person who was following them and, much to his surprise, he learned that it wasn't one of the Earl's henchmen but was instead an Exorcist.

And a general on top of that.

The red haired man dressed in the black and gold coat had a smug expression on his face as the Fourteenth walked toward him. He didn't seem the least bit concerned that he had been found and casually pulled a cigarette from the pocket of his coat.

"Why the hell are you following us?" the Fourteenth demanded, his narrowed eyes focused on the man.

"I'm curious to see what you're going to do next Noah," the general replied casually. He placed the cigarette in his mouth, lit the end with a match and then inhaled deeply. He seemed to enjoy the poison way too much and the Fourteenth glared at him.

So the man knew that he was of the Clan of Noah. That wasn't good.

For the first time since he had left the service of the Millennium Earl the Fourteenth allowed himself to assume his Noah appearance. He hoped that this would serve to scare the general but, much to his dismay, it didn't have any affect on the man. The Exorcist merely gazed at him as though he were some oddity at a side show, a smug expression on his face as he enjoyed his cigarette.

"I could kill you," the Fourteenth said calmly.

"You could try," the Exorcist said in the same casual tone. "And maybe you'd succeed. But I highly doubt it."

"You aren't like the other Exorcists are you?" The Fourteenth had no idea why but he found himself curious about this crimson haired stranger. Neither the Millennium Earl nor his henchmen had succeeded in finding him and Mana and yet this Exorcist had. That fact intrigued him.

"Hell no," the general spat out, as though even being spoken about in the same sentence as the others annoyed the hell out of him. Then his eye, the one that wasn't covered by the half mask that he wore, narrowed. "Just as you're not like the other Noah."

"What do you mean?" He wanted to know just how much this Exorcist actually knew about him.

"Well," the general said, casually taking another drag from his cigarette. "Most Noah don't go about plotting the death of that fat ass the Millennium Earl."

The Fourteenth had always prided himself on being aware of everything that concerned him and for once he was surprised. How the hell had this Exorcist came upon information like that? He had been certain that the Earl and the Noah would keep word of his betrayal a secret. They wouldn't want their enemy to know that someone from their own ranks was working against them.

"Don't look so surprised," the general said calmly. "I got the information from an Akuma. Very interesting creatures Akuma. Did you know that you can actually rewire them so that they can resist the urge to mindlessly kill people?"

"You've been rewiring Akuma?"

The general nodded. "I don't know what possessed me to try it but it's actually not that hard."

"You're playing with fire," the Musician warned.

"Not really." The man was just so damn smug. "I equip them with a self destruct button just in case the desire to kill becomes more than they can fight."

Despite himself the Fourteenth found that he was somewhat impressed by the Exorcist. He had actually found a way to turn the Millennium Earl's playthings into his own. That was no easy feat and the Musician found himself wondering if this man might come in handy. "So does the Black Order know that one of their generals is out consorting with Noah?"

"The Black Order doesn't know shit," the general stated. "About anything."

Wow, this man took bluntness to whole new extremes. This meeting might not have been such a bad thing after all, the Fourteenth decided. He didn't trust the Exorcist by any means but perhaps the man could help him gain his revenge against the Millennium Earl.

"So do you plan on using that gun?" the Fourteenth asked, gesturing toward the large weapon that the general wore strapped to his thigh.

The Exorcist seemed somewhat surprised that the Noah had noticed his weapon and, pulling back the edge of his coat, he placed his hand on the gun. "Hadn't planned on pulling Judgment on you," he muttered, allowing his coat to fall closed once more. "What about you, aren't you going to fight?"

"Like I'd waste my time on you," the Fourteenth said, rolling his eyes.

"Well then I guess I'll take my leave," the general said, dropping his cigarette and casually stomping it into the ground. "I came to see if you were a threat and you obviously aren't."

"You're wrong about that," the Musician muttered, a far off look in his golden eyes.

"My name's Cross Marian by the way," the Exorcist said as he turned to walk away.

The Fourteenth didn't really want to exchange pleasantries with the Exorcist but unfortunately his brother had always strived to teach him to be a gentleman and that training was screaming at him to be polite. With a sigh he gave in but not entirely. "I would tell you my name but I gave it up long ago. You can just call me the Musician."

"Alright then," Cross said as he walked away from the spot where the Fourteenth was standing. "I'm sure that I'll be seeing you again Musician."

The Fourteenth was certain that he was correct. With a sigh the young man returned to his human appearance and then made his way over to the spot where Mana had a small campfire going. He sat down across from his brother and could tell immediately, just by the look in his eyes, that Mana had witnessed his little exchange with the Exorcist.

"You shouldn't spy on people Mana," the Fourteenth said. "It's impolite."

"What did the Exorcist want Allen?" the older man asked, completely ignoring what his brother had said. He had kept his eye on the two of them, having known that something was wrong by Allen's behavior, but unfortunately he hadn't been able to hear what they were saying.

"Just to introduce himself," the Fourteenth said casually.

Mana arched a brow, clearly thinking that his brother was lying.

"His name's General Cross Marian," the Fourteenth said with a chuckle. "And he's different from the other Exorcists. I think he may prove useful later."

Mana didn't look convinced but it was obvious that he wasn't willing to argue with his brother. The Fourteenth sighed as he stretched his legs out and casually ran a hand through his mahogany hair. "So how about you make us something to eat? I'm absolutely starving."

Mana laughed before pulling out some of the supplies that he'd acquired in the last town that they visited.

A/N - enter General Cross. He plays a bigger role in the story later on but I wanted to write about their meeting now. Hope you enjoyed, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.

Mana: I'll tell you what I thought. I thought that Exorcist guy was creepy.  
The Musician: Oh come on. That guy's not scary.  
Mana: 'shudders' says you.  
The Musician: Yea, says me. He's not scary, he's just a jerk.


	7. Vengeful Noah

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Seven - Vengeful Noah

Having been on the run for a couple of months the Fourteenth had successfully implanted himself and his brother into another traveling show. He wasn't really happy about the arrangement but Mana seemed to enjoy it and the setup guaranteed that they would be moving about frequently. Considering their circumstances that was ideal and the Musician decided that he would just have to suck it up and deal with his annoyance.

It was true that he was once again trapped in a life that he had loathed but everything that he was doing was for Mana so he would simply have to deal with it. However he drew the line at actually performing himself, at least in the traditional sense, and was relegated to playing the music for his brother's act.

His specialty had always been the piano, he both favored the instrument and excelled at it, but for Mana's clown routine he opted for a trumpet because it seemed to suit the clown better than the piano. And being the Musician of course he could play any instrument.

"I'm sorry Allen," Mana said one day after their performance.

The Fourteenth ceased fiddling with the trumpet that he was holding and gazed over at his older brother. "Why are you apologizing? What could you possibly have to be sorry about?"

"I know that you're not enjoying this lifestyle," Mana said, gesturing toward the circus grounds.

The Fourteenth shrugged, trying to look as nonchalant as possible. "You do what you have to do. We have to keep walking forward and this arrangement is ideal. Moving to a different location every couple of days. Honestly, what more could we ask for?"

Mana was at a loss for words. He knew that Allen was unhappy and yet the boy was constantly walking around with a smile on his face. Mana could tell that it was fake, it didn't reach all the way up to his eyes, but for his brother's sake Allen was trying to pretend that everything was fine. For his sake the young man was making an attempt to go about things as though they were just normal siblings with nothing to worry about. Nothing to fear.

Mana was well aware that things were as far away from fine as it was possible for them to be but he appreciated his brother's attempts at pretending. He just wished that Allen didn't have to go through the motions when he was obviously miserable.

"I'm the one who should be apologizing," the Fourteenth said after awhile, still resolutely refusing to meet the gaze of his older brother. "If it weren't for me then you wouldn't be in this situation to begin with. It's my fault that the Earl is searching for you. I'm sorry Mana, please forgive me."

"Allen," Mana said, his voice stern enough to capture his brother's full attention. "I don't blame you for any of this and you need to stop blaming yourself."

It was the Fourteenth's turn to be grateful for the comfort that his brother was trying to give but he knew that Mana's words were a lie. Everything bad that was happening to his brother was because of him and he renewed his vow to make things right.

He was going after the Millennium Earl tonight.

Strangely this decision, which should have terrified the traitor Noah, brought a small amount of peace to the Musician. He had made his decision and he wasn't going to back out of it. He would leave Mana with the performers, without telling his older brother about his plans. They were scheduled to move on to the next town the following day so he would be safe if something happened.

That was all that mattered to the Musician.

And so that night, under the cover of darkness, the Fourteenth slipped away from the caravan that he and Mana had been sharing since joining the circus. He wasn't one hundred percent certain of where he would find the Millennium Earl however the Fourteenth decided to try the manor first. That was the most likely place for him to be and the Musician found himself hoping that the rest of the members of the Clan of Noah would be out searching for him.

This was between him and the Millennium Earl and had nothing to do with them. For the most part he didn't have a grudge against his so called family but that didn't mean that he wouldn't fight them if they chose to get in his way. He was determined to end this.

When he arrived at the manor that was home to the Millennium Earl and the Noah the Fourteenth didn't even bother to knock on the door. He simply thrust it open and stepped inside, snapping his fingers and causing the nearby Akuma to simultaneously explode. He was well aware of the fact that the noise would alert any who may be inside the manor that there was an intruder but he wasn't concerned.

After all he would have to face them sooner or later.

It was an inevitability.

"And so the prodigal son returns," a familiar voice called out, followed by a laugh that chilled his blood. The Fourteenth's gaze immediately sought out the source of the words and his gaze hardened as it fell upon the face of the Millennium Earl.

As always his perpetual smile was plastered on his face but it made him look more demented than happy. There was a hint of surprise in his cruel eyes as though seeing the traitor Noah here was the last thing that he had expected.

"Good evening Earl," the Fourteenth said politely, removing his top hat and tossing it aside. He assumed his Noah appearance as he slowly and deliberately made his way toward the Millennium Earl. It was as though this was any other day and the Fourteenth wasn't under a death sentence. His calmness shocked even him but the Fourteenth couldn't dwell on it in any detail.

"Good evening," the Millennium Earl said, his gaze locked on the young man. He had favored the Musician, one of the few who could operate the Ark, which only increased the anger that he felt upon being betrayed. "Tell me dear boy, what have you done with Noah's Ark?"

"Oh I merely took it to Edo," the Fourteenth replied casually, as though he were discussing the weather and not the crime that had lead to his death sentence. It no longer mattered to him whether the Earl found the Ark; he was confident that none would be able to move it from it's resting place. Not even the powers of the Earl or the First Child would be enough to break the curse that he had placed upon it. Of that he was certain. "And made sure that no one except for me will ever be able to move it from there again."

"Remove the curse," the Earl said as he produced a huge sword and held it up, the smile still plastered to his face as he glared at the traitor Noah. "And I'll make sure that your death is quick and as painless as possible."

"Sorry," the Fourteenth said as he prepared to fight. "But I'm afraid that I simply cannot do that."

"Then you will suffer," the Earl said, a gleam in his cruel eyes.

* * *

Having fallen, exhausted into bed, Mana awoke to the sound of someone banging frantically on the door of his caravan. He thought briefly that Allen would get up and answer the door however a glance toward the bunk where his brother slept told him that his brother was gone. The bed didn't appear to have been slept in at all that night and Mana's heart began to beat faster. Allen hadn't mentioned going anywhere so what had happened?

Mana's blood ran cold as he was seized with a sudden fear.

_"Where could he have gone?"_ Mana thought to himself as he got up and walked the few steps over to the door. Vaguely wondering who in their right mind would be out at this time of night Mana opened the door and almost had a heart attack when he came face to face with the Exorcist General that Allen had spoken to awhile back. The man that he was convinced could come in handy in their fight against the Earl.

And it wasn't just the appearance of the Exorcist General that shocked him, it was the bloody form that the man had slung across his shoulder. "Can I come in or are you going to make me stand out here until the Akuma come?" the man demanded, an irritated look in the one eye that was just barely visible underneath his red hair.

Mana quickly stepped back and allowed the Exorcist to enter the small caravan.

General Cross quickly deposited the limp form of the Musician on the bed and then turned back to Mana. "Do what you can for him while I take care of the ones that followed us."

And without so much as another word Cross stepped back outside leaving Mana alone to inspect the injuries that covered his brother's body. It was obvious that Allen had been in a serious fight with someone and from the look that the Exorcist had held in his eyes that someone was still after him.

A/N - Well that didn't go so well for the Fourteenth. Sorry about the fight scene but I really couldn't come up with anything. Trust me, it's better that it's not there cause it would have sucked royally. Hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please review and share your thoughts with me.

Mana: I can't believe that you fought against the Millennium Earl.  
The Musician: I can't believe that I lost  
Mana: 'Shakes head and rolls eyes'  
Cross: You're just lucky that I saved your ass.  
The Musician: 'Glares because he can't deny it'


	8. Wounded Noah

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Eight - Wounded Noah

"My god Allen," Mana murmured, his voice filled with shock, as he began to dress the multiple wounds that covered his brother's body. He had known the type of people that were after his brother and himself and yet for some naive reason Mana had never expected something like this to happen. In hindsight it was stupidity on his part, he knew that, and Mana wished that he had been more prepared. He couldn't believe that Allen was still hanging on to life after having endured so many injuries and he felt a new respect grow for his brother.

The boy had a strength that he couldn't even imagine.

After handing the care of the Musician over to his brother General Cross made his way outside and prepared for the arrival of those who would surely have followed them. It was a small miracle that the Fourteenth had managed to escape after his failed attempt on the Earl's life and another miracle that Cross had still been following him. Unfortunately there was no way that their luck would hold out for much longer. Two miracles was already more than they could have ever hoped for, realistically they couldn't expect to receive three.

The enemy would be out for them with a vengance and they would be here soon.

Pulling a small coffin shaped object from his pocket Cross held up one hand and whispered a few magical words. The coffin grew in size until it was large enough to hold a person. A smirk appeared on the man's face as he called out the magical words that served as the release command for Grave of Maria. This particular anti-Akuma weapon was a closely guarded secret but there was no way to avoid using it.

The Fourteenth's condition was too serious for them to be able to move him right now so Cross decided that the best thing to do would be to hide the traitor Noah in plain sight. And luckily enough he happened to have an ability that would allow them to do just that. "Maria," he called out as the woman emerged from the coffin and came to stand behind him. "Magdala Curtain, Activate!"

The corpse woman, whose face was obscured by a mask, obediently opened her mouth and began to sing what sounded like a hymn. Cross watched as the familiar force field formed around the little caravan where the traitor Noah was hiding. Leaving Maria to maintain the barrier that would make it impossible for those hunting them to see the little trailer, Cross stepped back inside.

The Fourteenth's brother, Cross thought his name was Mana or something like that, was busy tending to the young man's wounds. There was a concerned expression on his face as he treated each of the injuries to the best of his ability and it was obvious that he cared for the kid. Obvious that their current situation was tearing at his soul.

It must be hard to have a Noah for a brother.

"So what happened to him?" Mana asked the Exorcist without turning his attention away from Allen.

"The brat thought that he could take on the Millennium Earl," Cross replied, making no attempt to shield Mana from the truth. He was well aware of the fact that, had the Musician been conscious, he would be furious but quite frankly he didn't give a damn.

He'd never really been a people person and that wasn't likely to change any time soon.

Mana gasped as he heard the words that Cross spoke. "Why?" he whispered, his voice breaking as his gaze once again took in the horrific injuries that his brother had suffered. This time his words weren't for Cross but for the brother who meant everything to him. "What possessed you to do something like that Allen?"

"He wanted to make sure that you were safe," Cross replied casually, pulling a cigarette from the pocket of his coat. "And the best way to do that was to remove the threat. The brat's just lucky that the other Noah were out searching for him or else there's no way that he would have gotten out of there alive. I'm still not sure how he did it actually. He beat the odds with that little escape trick."

"You didn't help him?"

Cross took a drag off the cigarette, feeling the invigorating rush of nicotine, before he replied. "No. I met up with him after he'd already escaped."

"Thank you for bringing him back to me," Mana said in a quiet voice. He was fairly certain that he didn't care much for the Exorcist General as a person but that didn't detract from the fact that he owed the man a great deal for bringing his brother back to him.

"Don't thank me," Cross snapped, wanting to make sure that the man didn't get the wrong impression about him. "I didn't do it for you or him for that matter. This brat is still scheming and I want to know what else he has up his sleeve."

Mana chose to ignore the harsh words spoken by the General and instead focused his attention back on Allen. His breathing was labored and it was obvious that he was in a tremendous amount of pain even in his unconscious state. Wanting desperately to help the boy Mana reached into a well of knowledge and pulled forth something that he was sure he had long since forgotten.

A spell of healing.

Cross' eyes widened as he heard the whispered words that Mana was speaking over his brother's still form. So the older one was a magician as well huh? This just kept getting more and more interesting and Cross began to see the man named Mana in a new light.

The spell wasn't a very powerful one and Mana wasn't the most accomplished of magicians however it seemed to diminish Allen's pain a small degree and he was grateful for that. The young man ceased his thrashing around and lay still, his breathing labored but even.

"I'm sorry Allen," Mana whispered, brushing back the locks of mahogany hair that were plastered to the young man's sweat drenched face. "I wish that I could do more."

"We're going to have to leave this place soon," Cross said from his spot on the other side of the small caravan. "It's only a matter of time before they track us down and Maria's ability won't be very much use if we're trapped. We can only stay hidden for so long."

"We?" Mana repeated.

"I'll hang around until the brat can hold his own in a fight," Cross said, rolling his eyes. "And then I'm gone."

Mana could tell that this Exorcist wasn't used to giving kindness to people and couldn't help but think that if only he'd practice a little more he might become good at it. But judging by the look of the man it didn't seem as though that was likely.

"Stop analyzing me," Cross snapped as he moved toward the door. He could tell that the man named Mana was trying to find some deeper meaning to his various personality flaws and he didn't like it. "Just get him ready to travel. We don't have a lot of time."

And with those parting words Cross opened the door and stepped back outside. Mana could hear the faint sound of a woman singing but he didn't give the matter any thought. He had to finish dressing Allen's wounds and work on getting the kid to wake up.

They had to move on.

* * *

Upon emerging from the world of blackness that he had been plunged into by the injuries sustained in his battle with the Earl, the first thing that the Fourteenth became aware of was intense pain. His body felt as though it were on fire and it was almost so intense that he couldn't breathe. He forced the thoughts of pain to the back of his mind however as his vision cleared and Mana's face came into focus.

Not only was he not dead but his brother had somehow found him.

"Shit!" he gasped, sitting up and gazing around. He wasn't normally one for cursing but this situation seemed to call for it. The sudden movement only intensified his pain but that wasn't important right now and he forced it from his mind. Was this some sick plan of the Millennium Earl? Was he planning on torturing Mana in order to get him to remove the curse that he had placed on Noah's Ark?

"Allen!" Mana exclaimed, placing his hands on his brother's chest and forcing the young man back down onto the pillow. "Calm down, you're okay."

"I'm not okay," the Fourteenth said, recalling his fight with the Millennium Earl. He had managed to hold his own for awhile but the leader of the Noah had simply been too much for him to handle. For the first time he realized, or allowed himself to accept the fact that, he was going to die. There was simply no way to avoid this outcome. The best that he could hope for would be to find a way to protect Mana.

"You need to calm down," Mana admonished as he realized that a couple of Allen's wounds were bleeding once more.

Forcing his breathing back under control the Fourteenth gazed around and for the first time realized where he was. Somehow he had ended up back in the caravan that he shared with his brother but he had no memory of how he had came to be here.

"So you decided to wake up huh?" a smug voice said.

The Fourteenth gazed toward the doorway and he saw the Exorcist General standing there, a cigarette in his mouth. The Musician rolled his eyes, did that man constantly have a cigarette in his mouth? He couldn't recall having ever seen him without one and the two of them had encountered one another a couple more times since the day that they met. Personally he thought it was a disgusting habit but who was he to judge?

"I'm glad that he's awake because we have to leave," Cross said. He had been fighting low level Akuma for several hours and he knew that it was only a matter of time before a stronger opponent followed them to this place. The Fourteenth was in no condition to fight, Mana probably couldn't, and he didn't want to fight the Millennium Earl and a bunch of Noah by himself.

Not that he was afraid, mind you, but there was such a thing as odds too great.

Mana nodded and leaned forward to help Allen to his feet. The young man winced as his wounds throbbed in protest however he pushed the pain aside. There was nothing that could be done about it and he needed to make sure that Mana got to safety.

That was his new goal although the Fourteenth was still thinking about possible ways to kill the Millennium Earl with his own hands.

"Try to remain conscious okay?" Cross said as he shifted his gaze toward the brat that Mana was supporting. "You may be a scrawny thing but you're still a pain in the ass to carry."

"I should probably thank you," the Fourteenth said as he got shakily to his feet. "But I'm sure that you had some ulterior motive for helping me so I'm not going to."

Cross merely laughed.

A/N - This chapter is kinda weird but oh well. Now the Fourteenth and Mana are well and truly on the run from the Millennium Earl and the Fourteenth is beginning to think of ways to beat the Earl. Hope you enjoyed, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.

Mana: Wow, this story seems to have taken a turn toward depressing.  
The Musician: You don't know the half of it.  
Mana: What's that supposed to mean?  
The Musician: You'll see.


	9. Fugitive Noah

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Nine - Fugitive Noah

Walking with a multitude of injuries wasn't the most pleasant experience that the Fourteenth had ever had and the young man was forced to lean heavily on his brother just to remain in an upright position. This both angered and embarrassed him and he wasn't sure which feeling was more dominant although he was leaning toward anger. He was accustomed to being able to take care of himself and it irritated him that, in his current codition at least, there was simply no way that he would be able to do that.

Should the Earl or any of the Noah appear he, and most likely the others as well, would die.

This thought was currently haunting the Fourteenth but there really wasn't anything that he could do about it. The only way to keep his brother safe was to keep moving but unfortunately the severity of his wounds made him more of a hinderance than a help in that department. He had suggested, once and only once, that his brother abandon him and run for it but Mana had silenced his brother with one glare. The Musician shivered slightly at the memory of the look that had appeared on Mana's face once he had made his little proposal.

That was a look that the Fourteenth had never seen on his brother's face and one he hoped to never see again.

He was still uncertain about the motives of the Exorcist General who was helping them but if the man could keep Mana safe then the Fourteenth would forever be in his debt. Because right now he was less than useless and he knew it. He wouldn't be happy about it of course but he would be endebted none the less. This only made the young man more determined to quickly recover from his injuries just so that he could be rid of the annoying Exorcist with the flaming red hair.

A groan escaped the Fourteenth's lips as he thought about the situation.

"Are you alright Allen?" Mana asked the young man who was leaning heavily against him, mistaking the irritated groan for something else. There was concern in his kind eyes as he gazed at his younger brother and the Fourteenth forced an arrogant grin onto his face. "I'm fine Mana, don't worry."

"You're so full of shit," Cross said from his position at the head of the group, glancing back at the brat and his brother from over his shoulder. "You're half dead and you know it."

"And you're a bastard," the Fourteenth shot back, his eyes narrowing as he gazed at the Exorcist's back. Cross had already focused his gaze forward once again but the Fourteenth knew that the Exorcist had heard him. It was true that Cross had been helping them since his failed attempt on the Earl's life but the man was less than pleasant to be around and it was obvious that his parents had never taught him proper manners. And judging by the language that he was now using it seemed as though he were making the Fourteenth forget the manners that he _had_ been taught.

"Thank you," Cross said, not even the slightest bit bothered by the brat's comment. Much worse had been said about him and the wonderful thing was it couldn't bother you if you genuinely didn't care what other people thought about you. Cross prided himself on being heartless and completely uncaring. Hell, he'd been called worse than bastard by most of the people that he worked with. If it didn't bother him that his fellow Exorcists thought that about him then why the hell would it matter that a Noah brat didn't like him? Short answer was that it didn't matter in the slightest.

He didn't give a damn what anyone thought.

_"Now at any rate," _a small voice whispered in his head. Visions of a woman entered unbidden into his mind and Cross snarled at the unwanted memories. She was gone, had been for quite some time, and now wasn't the time to be thinking about her.

The group fell silent after that, each man lost in his own thoughts.

The trio traveled along quietly, the only noises the occassional grunt of pain from the Fourteenth, but they were forced to halt their march forward when a large group of Akuma appeared as though out of nowhere. With a foul curse Cross pulled Judgment from the holster that he wore secured at his hip. He held up the gun and at the same time sized up his enemies.

"Don't waste your energy Exorcist," the Fourteenth said from his spot a few feet behind General Cross. Mana was still helping his brother to stand but now the Fourteenth had a confident expression in those calculating gray eyes of his. Despite his injuries the young man almost locked cocky.

"Would you rather die, you stupid brat?" Cross snapped, glaring at the boy through the one eye that wasn't covered.

The Fourteenth laughed as he held up his hand, an arrogant smirk on his handsome face. "Now, you should have a little more faith in me than that Exorcist. I am a member of the Clan of Noah after all."

And, having said this, the Fourteenth snapped his fingers. A haunting melody seemed to echo though the air as the group of Akuma, several level ones as well as a couple of level twos, simultaneously exploded. As the remains of their enemies fell to the ground the Fourteenth turned his attention back to Cross, his expression smug. "The Millennium Earl can't take that particular little 'gift' away from me so the Akuma are no match. Even in my weakened condition they cannot kill me."

Cross might have respected the young man for this act had his personality allowed for such feelings. As it was he merely holstered Judgment with a grunt and continued on his way. The two men behind him could either follow along or not.

He really didn't care.

_"Oh yes you do,"_ a small voice said in the General's mind. _"You care a great deal because you want to find out what that little brat has up his sleeve now that he's reached the conclusion that death is an inevitability."_

Cross Marian, Exorcist and one of the five Generals of the Black Order, wanted to deny the words of his subconscious but he couldn't. He knew that they were true. He knew that the Noah brat was planning something, even now he could see the wheels inside the boy's mind turning, and he really did want to know what was going through that warped little mind of his. Wanted to know what he had in mind to foil the Earl's plans.

No matter how much he denied that fact.

"We should find someplace to hide," Mana said, breaking into the General's thoughts. Cross glanced back at the man and as he did so he noticed that the brat was leaning on him even more heavily than before. Blood had soaked through the bandages that were wrapped around the brat's chest, which meant that his wounds were bleeding once again. They really did need somewhere to hide.

"Fine," Cross snapped. "Useless brat."

Cross forced the two brothers to keep walking for nearly an hour and then he located a cabin that appeared to have been abandoned. Pushing the door open he gestured for Mana and the Fourteenth to get inside before he set about making sure that no one found them. Either Noah or Exorcist.

No one could know that he was mixed up with a member of the Clan of Noah or it would be decidedly bad for him. And Cross didn't like it when things were bad. He was beginning to become sober which was bad enough. He didn't need any more trouble on top of that. Once again pulling the little box from the inside pocket of his coat he whispered the words that would return it to it's full size.

Then he removed the chains and summoned Maria from within.

"Magdala Curtain, Activate!"

Just as before Maria sung the hymn that activated the barrier, her Innocence's main defensive move. He felt a momentary stab of guilt at the way he was using her, a former comrade and something more that even he wouldn't admit to, but he quickly pushed those feelings aside. Cross Marian did not feel guilt over anything. He was a heartless bastard.

Or at least that was what he wanted everyone to think.

Inside the cabin Mana helped his younger brother slide to the floor. The cabin was abandoned, so there was no furniture, but Mana quickly pulled the blankets from the suitcase that he had hurriedly packed before their departure and made a bed for Allen on the floor. "Are you sure you're okay?" Mana asked his brother as the kid crumpled to the floor.

"I'm fine," the Fourteenth lied with ease. "Just a little tired."

Mana didn't really believe his brother but chose not to further pursue the matter. Getting to his feet he made his way across the cabin. "Just try and get some rest Allen. I'm going to go and check on your friend the General."

"That bastard is not my friend," the Fourteenth growled.

The injured Noah watched as his brother exited the cabin and then he allowed the mask to disappear. Allowed his true emotions to show on his face. He knew that the outlook was not good where he was concerned. He had made an attempt on the Millennium Earl's life and there was no way that the Earl and the Noah would cease looking for him. It was only a matter of time before they found him and the Musician was well aware of the fact that, in his current condition, there was absolutely no way that he could win a fight against the Earl. He could probably hold his own against the Noah, as long as the whole family didn't show up, but the Earl was a completely different matter.

That meant that the Fourteenth needed a backup plan. He now acknowledged the fact that his attack on the Earl hadn't been planned out nearly well enough and he needed something else to work with. Something that would ensure that the man met with a very unpleasant fate.

Perhaps magic would help the situation.

There was one spell that he had contemplated using but the cost of that particular bit of magic was unbelievably high and he was reluctant to use it. But reluctant didn't mean that he wouldn't do it, it just meant that he didn't want to.

Unfortunately the Fourteenth had done many things in his life that he hadn't wanted to do.

_"I was wrong,"_ the Fourteenth thought to himself with a wry smile. _"The Exorcist isn't the bastard, I am."_ Then he thought about the man that he and Mana were currently traveling with and changed his mind once again. _"Okay, so we're both bastards."_

A/N - hope that you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought. The Musician wants to know so do it.

Mana: Now, you should really use manners when asking for something.  
The Musician: Who was asking?  
Mana: Glares at his brother, arms crossed over his chest.  
The Magician: Fine, Review... Please  
Mana: That's better


	10. Scheming Noah

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Ten - Scheming Noah

A couple of weeks had passed since the Fourteenth's attempt on the life of the Millennium Earl and during this time not a day had gone by that they weren't attacked by Akuma and the occasional Noah. The Fourteenth had long since gotten rid of the annoying Exorcist General, although he was certain that the man was still following them and keeping tabs, and he had to fight the battles on his own.

And keep Mana safe in the process.

He was always careful to shield his brother using magic when he was forced to fight. He didn't want any of them to know what Mana looked like, just in case the current battle turned out to be his last. Thankfully enough it was very difficult for one Noah to defeat another since their powers tended to counter balance each other.

The two exceptions to this were the First Child Road and the Musician himself.

But luckily enough the two of them never met. He was forced to fight against Tyki Mikk, the Noah whom he had greatly enjoyed beating at cards. That fight ended in a draw and the Fourteenth managed to escape with Mana but these constant battles set his mind into overdrive. He was well aware that it was only a matter of time before the Millennium Earl caught up to him and he had to get Mana settled and out of sight before that happened. His wounds were never going to have a chance to heal, due to the constant battles that he was forced to engage in, and he was resigned to the fact that his next meeting with the Earl would be his last.

Resigned but not ready to just roll over and die.

There were two things that he had to accomplish before his demise and his determination knew no limits. First he had to get Mana to a safe location and second he had to find a host. He had decided on the use of a bit of forbidden magic in order to make sure that he could kill the Earl with his own hands. It was a rather complicated spell and would seal his memories inside a host body. Over time the memories would over ride the host and slowly turn the chosen person into the Fourteenth himself. This was a last option, not really something that he had wanted to do, but at this point in the game there really wasn't any other choice. He was going to die, of that he was certain, but the Musician was still determined to get his revenge against the Millennium Earl and this was the only way to make sure that this happened.

The moment he decided upon his course of action the Fallen Noah began searching for a strong body to play host. He needed some kind of added power, coupled together with the ones that he already possessed, if he were going to stand a chance against the Earl.

The Exorcist General had been a candidate for about ten seconds but then the Fourteenth decided that it wasn't a very good idea. Sure the man was a powerful Exorcist but he was also a chain smoking, heavy drinking bastard and the Fourteenth had no desire to inhabit his body. With his luck the General would probably drop dead before his memories had the chance to take over the man's body.

Yea, that option was definitely out.

It wasn't easy to find a host body with the right potential and it was even harder to keep his intentions hidden from his brother. The Fourteenth knew that Mana would definitely not approve of the decision that he had made but he was determined to both destroy the Earl with his own hands and also to return to Mana. He knew that the spell he was going to use was beyond cruel and that he would be robbing another of the chance of life but there was simply no other way to do it. He had to have more power to defeat the Earl and he didn't have the time to gain that power for himself.

"Allen," Mana suddenly called out, effectively drawing the Fourteenth's attention away from his thoughts. "I think someone's coming."

The Fourteenth was instantly on high alert and he quickly discovered that his brother was correct. Someone was indeed coming and that someone just happened to be a member of the Clan of Noah. This was the last thing that the Musician wanted to deal with right now but there wasn't any other choice. The Fourteenth quickly whispered a spell to conceal his brother and then shoved Mana into a group of bushes.

"Well, well," a cruel male voice called out as a shadowy figure approached the spot where the Fourteenth was standing. "Lord Millennium will be so happy. I found the Traitor Noah."

The Fourteenth stood, an arrogant smirk appearing on his face as he gazed over at his former 'brother'. "Try not to get too excited. You have to be alive at the end of this in order to go and tell him."

The Noah narrowed his eyes and rushed toward the Fourteenth. He was determined to subdue this traitor and then take him back to the Millennium Earl, who would surely reward him for his actions. His orders were that the traitor had to be alive but the Earl had issued new orders to bring the Musician back by any means necessary. It didn't matter if he had been beaten to a bloody pulp just so long as he was still breathing.

"I don't think so," the Fourteenth said as he evaded the man's attack and launched one of his own. "There is no way in hell that I'm going to die at the hands of the likes of you. I still have things to do so I'm afraid that I'm going to have to kill you."

From his spot in the bushes Mana watched the two Noah fight. He desperately wanted to rush to the aid of his brother, who had sustained a few serious injuries on top of the ones that still hadn't had the chance to heal properly, but he knew that Allen wouldn't appreciate the interference. And he also knew that he didn't stand a chance against the Noah. Sure he knew a few magical spells but nothing that would allow him to fight on the same level as those two.

He would just have to wait and hope for the best. "Come on Allen, please be okay."

The Fourteenth did manage to emerge from the battle victorious, leaving his opponent laying on the ground dead, but he knew that this would complicate the situation even further. Everyone would be out for blood now and he could feel that his days, perhaps even his hours were numbered. He had sustained yet more injuries and knew that these newest additions, much like their predecessors, wouldn't be given a chance to heal.

He would have to find a host soon.

That meant that he couldn't be as selective as he had planned. He was loathe to rely on luck in a situation such as this, since his luck had never really been all that great, but decided that as soon as the opportunity presented itself he would perform the spell and seal his memories in whomever happened to be there at the time.

There was nothing else that he could do.

"Let's go Mana," the Fourteenth called out, beckoning to his brother. "We have to get out of here before someone comes along and finds him."

Mana nodded and quickly ran to join his brother. He could tell, by the expression in Allen's eyes, that the boy was concerned about their situation and he wanted to comfort his brother. But what could he say? What words could he possibly offer to make this situation better? The simple truth was that there was nothing that he could say that would even come close to making this okay so he chose to remain silent. Allen seemed to be lost in thought and Mana didn't want to disturb him. He did however reach out a hand and place it on his brother's shoulder.

The Fourteenth smiled at Mana's attempt to offer him comfort. He was going to miss this when he was gone but there was nothing to be done for it.

As he and his brother fled the scene of this latest crime the Fourteenth was going over the steps in the spell in his mind. He had been studying this particular spell for quite some time and was fairly certain that he could pull it off. It was difficult but well within his skill level.

_"I have to find a host,"_ he thought to himself, clenching his hands into fists.

A/N - and there's the end of chapter ten. Hope you enjoyed, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.

Mana: You're up to something aren't you?  
The Musician: Now whatever would give you that idea?  
Mana: Because I know you.  
The Musician: 'merely laughs'


	11. Desperate Noah

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Eleven - Desperate Noah

After leaving Mana in a nearby inn the Fourteenth casually made his way down the street. Akuma were circling the city everywhere and as a precaution the Fourteenth used a magic spell to conceal himself from them. It wouldn't work on the more intelligent enemies but it would be enough to keep him off the radar of the low level Akuma that were searching for him and his brother. He just needed a little more time.

Just long enough to seal his memories in a host.

He could feel the presence of his fellow Noah, not in this particular city but somewhere nearby, and he knew that his time was drawing closer. It seemed that they were now more determined than ever to track him down and make him pay for his betrayal. The Fourteenth had realized all along that he couldn't run forever but he hadn't expected his past to catch up to him so quickly.

He'd wanted a little more time with the brother that he cherished, just a little more time, but apparently it just wasn't meant to be. His time was running out and there were things that he had to do before the destiny managed to catch up with him. So now the Musician was out walking the streets and searching for someone in whom to implant his memories, someone who could serve as his means to returning to Mana.

Searching for someone to inherit the License of the Player.

Whomever he chose to be the host to his memories would also be given the License of the Player and would, as a result, have the power necessary to control Noah's Ark. He would need that power later and thus had to give it to his host. It was dangerous to give this power to a stranger since he had no way of knowing to whom it was being given but there really was no other choice.

The Noah were growing closer and the Fourteenth felt his chest grow tight as he sensed the approach of the Millennium Earl. Now everyone was on the look out for him and, judging by his senses, they were in a city nearby. He was rapidly running out of time and he quickened his search for a host body, determined to perform the spell before he was discovered by his 'family members' turned enemies. Unfortunately it was rather cold out and the choices were woefully limited.

As he made his way down the street the Fourteenth wasn't really paying attention to where he was going, so intent was he on finding a host, and he almost fell when his foot came into contact with... something. It was soft so that narrowed down the list of things that it could be however the Fourteenth couldn't identify it by feeling alone. Glancing down the Fourteenth saw that a child, a little boy, had stumbled out of an alley and directly into his past. His gray eyes narrowed as he gazed at the little boy in an appraising manner.

_**"No. You can't. He's just a child."**_

The Fourteenth paid no heed to the small and far off voice of his conscience. He had long since learned to ignore that particular voice in his head. He focused his gray eyed gaze on the child, who immediately shrank back into the alley from which he had emerged. This wasn't what he had planned but the Fourteenth was rapidly running out of time so he took the hand that Fate had been kind enough to deal him. After all, his time was drawing to a close and he may not get a second chance.

With a small sigh the Fourteenth followed the little boy into the alley.

The child seemed absolutely horrified that he had been followed into his sanctuary and he immediately sank to the ground and pressed his little back against the building. He desperately wanted to escape the stranger who was walking toward him but he instinctively knew that he couldn't. Shaking with fear the child pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them in a protective manner. As though this could somehow shield him from harm.

The Fourteenth shook his head as he watched the child curl into a ball and press his back against the wall as though he were trying to sink into the building and disappear from sight. It was a pitiful display and there was a part of the Fourteenth that wanted to just turn around and walk away. The Musician actually took one step backward but as he made this move to leave his thoughts flashed to Mana and his resolve returned in full force. Everything that he was doing was for his brother and he knew that he couldn't back out now.

It was regrettable, what he was going to do to this child, but he had to do it.

"This wasn't what I had planned," the Fourteenth spoke in a quiet voice as he came to stand over the terrified child. "But I don't have very much time left. I know it isn't much consolation but I am sorry kid. You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

This said the Fourteenth went about chanting the words that would forever seal his memories into the mind of this unfortunate child. To his knowledge this spell had never been performed on a child so he wasn't one hundred percent certain of what the affects would be but he didn't have time to search for a more suitable candidate. The Earl and the Noah were drawing closer to him with each breath that he took and it was now or never.

And never simply wasn't an option.

Once he had completed the spell that would forever damn this poor child the Fourteenth knelt in front of the kid. The kid's head was bowed as though in prayer and the Fourteenth reached out and, placing his hand under the little boy's chin, lifted his face so that he could look into his eyes. There was terror in the child's eyes as he gazed at the man who was now at eye level with him and with a start the Fourteenth realized that they had the same eyes. "Maybe Fate knew what it was doing after all," he said in a quiet voice.

There were tears running down the child's face but he made no sound. Perhaps he was too scared to make a sound or maybe he couldn't, the Fourteenth didn't know which and he didn't really have time to dwell on it. Placing a gloved hand over the little boy's eyes he whispered a couple of well chosen words that would plunge the boy into a deep sleep.

When he awoke he would have no memory of this meeting.

With a small sigh the child slumped sideways. The Fourteenth gazed at him for a moment longer before getting to his feet and quickly leaving the alley. Now that the spell had been cast he had to get as far away from his chosen host as possible before he was found by his enemies. The knowledge of this child would die with him. No one would know to whom the License of the Player had been given.

It was safer that way.

Pushing back the guilt that he felt over stealing the child's life from him the Fourteenth left the alley and made his way down the street. To the few people who were out and about on this cold say he would look like any normal person but the Fourteenth knew the truth.

He was a monster.

_"I'm such a bastard,"_ he thought to himself as he walked away from the alley where he had left the child.

"So I see you're still alive," a cold voice called out, breaking into the Musician's thoughts.

The Fourteenth didn't even bother to turn around and see who it was that had called out to him. There was no way that he would ever be able to forget that voice. The man who had spoken, and was now walking beside him, was the Exorcist General. He remembered that the man had helped him out after his failed attempt on the Millennium Earl's life, as well as helping him and Mana escape afterward, but he still didn't particularly care for the man.

"Obviously," he said in a calm voice, trying to keep his tone emotionless. It took a bit of work to keep the sarcasm at bay but he somehow managed.

"I must admit that I'm somewhat surprised," Cross said as he fell into step beside the Traitor Noah.

The Fourteenth ignored the man's words, his mind focused on something else. The Earl and the Noah were hot on his trail and he needed to make sure that Mana escaped. That was the sole purpose for all of his actions after all. His brother had to escape. "Hey Exorcist..." He knew the man's name was Cross but he had never used it. You called people whom you liked by their first name and since he only liked one person he preferred not to use names.

"What?" Cross asked, puffing on the cigarette that seemed to perpetually dangle from his mouth.

The Fourteenth vaguely wondered how the man afforded his various vices but quickly shrugged it off. It wasn't really any of his business after all and he had more pressing matters to worry about. "We both know that it's likely that I won't survive for very much longer..."

"Yea," Cross said casually, as though they were discussing the weather and not the Fourteenth's impending death.

"If I don't survive I want you to watch over Mana for me," the Fourteenth said in a quiet voice. He hated to ask this man for anything but his brother's safety was more important than his pride. It was more important than anything else.

"Why the hell would I do that?" Cross demanded.

The Fourteenth had expected this reply from the man who claimed to care about nothing. He had thought about several ways to get the man's cooperation and had quickly decided that the truth would be the best way to go about it. Or at least part of the truth. "Because I'm going to come back to him. I WILL be the one who destroys the Millennium Earl. That bastard will die by my hands."

That statement served to get Cross' complete and undivided attention. He knew that the Noah brat was an accomplished magician and he found himself running through a list of spells in the hopes of coming across one that would enable someone to come back from the dead. His eyes widened as he thought about the one possibility that made sense under the circumstances. Surely he didn't...

The Fourteenth could tell by the look on the man's face that he had captured the Exorcist's attention. "It wasn't what I planned but it's the way it has to be."

This said the Musician took his leave of the red haired Exorcist General. He was certain that Cross would keep an eye on Mana just so that he could find out how the Fourteenth was coming back to him. Since he was a magician himself the Fourteenth knew that the Exorcist General's intellectual curiosity would keep him tied to Mana until the Fourteenth's memories emerged in the boy.

He was counting on that fact.

A/N - we're nearing the end. Hope you guys are enjoying this story, please leave a review and tell me what you think.

Mana: I wasn't even in this chapter.  
The Musician: Sorry but there were a couple of things that I had to do.  
Mana: 'gazes at his brother suspiciously' What did you do?  
The Musician: You'll find out.


	12. Fallen Noah

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Twelve - Fallen Noah

The Fourteenth Noah, also known as the Musician, was dead.

The Millennium Earl had finally caught up to the traitor Noah and had taken great pleasure in ending the young man's life. The boy's death had been far from quick and the traitor Noah had endured an excruciating amount of pain before the light had finally faded from his gray eyes. The Earl had made an attempt to get the Fourteenth to remove the curse that he had placed upon the Ark but the brat had adamantly refused. The strength that it had taken for the young man to refuse to give in to the Earl's demands considering the level of torture that he was subjected to was truly amazing.

His last breath had been used to tell the Earl that he would return and that the man would fall.

This had angered the Earl enough to cause the demented man to pierce the Fourteenth's heart and finally put an end to his suffering. Then, once the deed had been done, the Millennium Earl had casually turned to the assembled members of the Clan of Noah and told them that it was time for them to return home. And they all turned and casually walked away as though one of their family members hadn't just been killed before their very eyes.

The crumpled and lifeless body of the Fallen Noah had been abandoned in the spot where his life had ended and, as though by some twisted act of Fate, Mana was the one who found him. His brother had told him to stay at the inn but when hours passed and still Allen didn't return Mana began to grow concerned for his brother's safety. He spent a long time searching for his brother and that search had inevitably brought him to a meadow that was located on the outskirts of town.

And as he walked up a hill he spied something black lying amongst the green of the grass, something that was obviously foreign and out of place in the meadow. Feeling a sense of dread descend upon him the man broke into a run. Mana raced to the top of the hill and gazed out at the meadow, gaining a better view now that he was at a higher altitude. Mana gasped as he gazed down at the crumpled form, now certain what it was. There, lying amongst the grass, was Allen. Mana desperately wanted to believe that the young man was only sleeping but the blood that surrounded him and the unnatural position of his body pointed to a fact that he couldn't deny no matter how much he wanted to.

Allen was dead.

Something in the man's mind shattered upon seeing the lifeless body of the younger brother that he had always promised to protect and, after racing down the hill to the spot where the young man was lying, he fell to his knees at Allen's side. Little jolts of pain shot from his knees, which seemed to protest the force of his fall, but Mana didn't care. Nothing mattered to him right now, his physical pain was nothing compared to the stab of pain that he felt in his heart. Tears cascaded down his face and Mana made absolutely no attempt to halt them or to wipe them away. His grief was indescribable and he felt as though his very heart were breaking.

"ALLEN!" the grief stricken man screamed as he gently pulled the boy's upper body into his lap. For a few minutes all he could do was hold onto his brother's lifeless form, rocking back and forth as though he were soothing a small child instead of clutching a dead man.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you Allen," he sobbed in a broken voice as he gently brushed back a lock of mahogany hair that had fallen in front of the boy's lifeless eyes. The sight of those haunting gray eyes was too much and Mana used his fingers to gently close them. This made the young man appear as though he were merely sleeping and Mana wanted desperately to believe that Allen would wake up. But deep down he knew that he wouldn't. His beloved brother was gone forever. Tears continued to spill from Mana's eyes and they fell on the boy's ashen face, and still he made absolutely no attempt to hold them back. "I'm so sorry."

Allen had left him in their room at the inn that morning, explaining that he had something important to do, and Mana had stupidly allowed him to go. He had allowed the brother that he was supposed to protect to go out to face death alone. Had Allen known that he was leaving his brother for the last time? Had he known that his death was approaching and sought to protect Mana by leaving him?

"Your brother protected you to the last," General Cross Marian said as he approached the spot where Mana was kneeling with his brother. It was as though he could read the thoughts that were racing through Mana's grief stricken brain.

Mana gazed at the Exorcist General, hatred blazing bright in his normally kind eyes. He had never hated anyone before in his life but in this moment he found that his soul was consumed by that raw emotion. He hated the Millennium Earl and the Noah for taking his brother away from him but he also hated the Exorcist for doing nothing to stop it. "Why didn't you help him? You knew what was going to happen and yet you did nothing. You just stood by and watched him die! Why?"

"The simple answer would be because I didn't stand a snowball's chance in hell against the Earl and twelve members of the Clan of Noah," Cross said as he came to stand a few feet away from the broken family. He had witnessed the battle and might have been willing to help if the odds hadn't been so decidedly stacked in favor of the other side. He hadn't been willing to lose his life and thus had remained a safe distance away. "Your brother pissed him off so much that the fat ass brought the whole family."

This answer did nothing to appease Mana's anger but deep down he knew that there really was no reason for the Exorcist to aid someone from the other side. It was true that Allen had betrayed the Millennium Earl but the fact remained that he was still a member of the Clan of Noah. But Mana didn't want to be rational at the moment. He was hurt and he needed someone to blame.

He couldn't move, could barely think, and did nothing but stare down at the young man that he held in his arms. This was the same boy that he had grown up with, the one that he had watched learn to play the piano and revel in that accomplishment.

And now he was gone.

Mana's soul screamed out at the unfairness of the situation. Now he was completely and utterly alone in the world. Allen had been the sole surviving member of his family and with his death Mana was well and truly alone. He had no one. This thought rose up and threatened to crush him with it's weight. His breathing became ragid as his chest tightened and it became more difficult to breathe.

He was alone.

"We should give him a proper burial," Cross said in a quiet voice, breaking into Mana's tortured thoughts.

Mana was shocked by his words but after a few minutes he slowly nodded. It was the least that he could do for Allen, who had given everything in order to protect him and to keep him safe. He chose a peaceful spot underneath a weeping willow tree and he and Cross dug the grave themselves. No one could know what had happened to Allen because his death had been violent and would be too hard to explain to outsiders. And so the brother of the Noah and the Exorcist had done the task together. Then, leaving Mana alone with his brother's remains, Cross made his way into town, returning a couple of hours later with a coffin.

It was a simple wooden coffin, nothing fancy, but Mana was touched that the Exorcist had bothered.

Mana carefully picked his brother's limp body up from the ground and placed the young man in the coffin. He was much gentler than he needed to be but he couldn't bear to think of his brother as dead so he acted as though Allen were only sleeping. Sheltered in a sleep from which he would never awaken. Gently he brushed back the young man's mahogany hair and then folded his arms over his chest.

"I'm sorry Allen," he repeated as he took off his own top coat and used it to cover the boy's lifeless body.

Once the burial was complete Cross took the horse and wagon that he had rented and returned to the town, leaving Mana alone with his grief. It didn't appear as though the man was going to leave the grave site any time soon and Cross had absolutely no intention of staying outside all night. He hadn't had a drink in so long that he was almost sober and he hated that feeling. He needed a drink and perhaps some company with which to enjoy it.

Perhaps he'd come back and check on the grieving man later.

* * *

Cross did indeed return to the grave site to check on Mana, three days after the burial of the Fourteenth, but it was to find that the man was no longer there. A simple stone crucifix had been placed to mark the grave where the Fourteenth lay but there was no name written upon the marble.

Only music notes.

Cross searched the town for some sign of the Fallen Noah's brother but there was nothing to give him any clue as to where Mana Walker had ran off to. He berated himself for letting the man out of his sight but at the time he hadn't seen the need to keep an eye on the man.

He hadn't shown any signs of leaving the grave site.

"Damn it," he swore foully, finally admitting the fact that the Fourteenth's brother had skipped town. This was something that he hadn't anticipated and it presented a problem. He couldn't keep an eye on the man if he didn't know where he was. And he needed to keep an eye on him since the words of the Musician kept coming back to haunt him. That Noah brat had done something and Cross needed to find out exactly what that something had been. "I need to find that guy."

A/N - yea this chapter was short and I apologize for not writing the fight scene but I didn't think that I would be able to do it justice so I skipped it. One chapter left and then that's the end. Hope you enjoyed, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.

The Musician: I'm dead?  
Mana: Afraid so, sorry.  
The Musician: So, was it suicide or homicide?  
Mana: What?  
The Musician: Think about the author's pen name. You'll get it.  
Mana: Oh.  
Cross: 'grins smugly' I got it without the hint.  
Mana and The Musician: What the hell are you even doing here?


	13. Heir of the Musician

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Thirteen - Heir of the Musician

The sun was shining bright in the sky however it's rays did nothing to offer warmth on this cold December morning. Dressed in his clown costume Mana Walker emerged from his trailer and began searching for his performing partner. He hadn't seen the little dog since the previous night and he was somewhat worried. He had found the old dog a couple of years ago and had developed a soft spot for him. It was obvious by his appearance that he was an old dog but Mana didn't think that there was anything wrong with that.

And the little creature had proven that the phrase 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks' simply wasn't true. This dog had been an eager learner and had always quickly mastered any trick that Mana had taught him.

Whistling softly he began to search the circus grounds for any signs of his partner. The search didn't take long but the results were not what Mana had been hoping for. He did succeed in finding the little dog but his body was cold and lifeless, lying on the ground. Judging by the bruises that covered the little dog's body someone had taken out their frustrations on him.

Most people would cry upon discovering the battered body of a beloved pet but Mana just gazed down at the little creature. It wasn't that he wasn't sad that his partner was dead it was just that he had endured so much grief that he simply couldn't cry anymore. Something had already caused him to use up all of his tears, he somehow knew this to be the truth, but for the life of him he couldn't remember what it was. A dull ache in his heart told him that he had suffered a tremendous loss in life but Mana's brain refused to register what that loss had been.

With a little grunt Mana knelt down and scooped the little dog's body up into his arms. He would give the dog a decent burial and then he would move on with his life. Keep walking... never stop... always move forward. Mana had no idea where this mantra had came from but he found that he repeated it to himself whenever things got hard.

It seemed to offer him a measure of peace.

Mana carried his partner back to the small trailer that he called home at the moment. Placing the dog's body on the ground Mana quickly dug a shallow grave, the dog was small so the hole didn't have to be deep in order to accommodate him. When that task was complete Mana placed the dog's body in the grave, still wearing the ruffled collar that he wore for their performances.

"Is he dead?"

Mana glanced up at the sound of the voice and he saw that a child had came to stand a few feet away. The little boy was scruffy, with clothes that were too big for him and messy brown hair that he wore pulled back into an unruly ponytail. The child seemed cautious, with a wary look on his face, and remained a safe distance from Mana; close enough to talk to the man but far enough away to be out of the man's reach.

"He's dead," Mana said in a calm voice, gazing back down at the dog's small body.

"He's all covered in bruises," the boy observed as his gaze lingered on the little dog. "I bet it was that jerk Cosimo. He was jealous because you guys were better than him. He has no talent except for being a bully."

Mana vaguely listened to the child while he covered the body of his partner with earth. Then, once that task was complete, he pulled a small blue ball with yellow stars and placed it on top of the grave. It was all that he had to act as marker for his friend.

"He was an old dog," Mana said in a quiet voice, gazing down at the small grave. "He probably wouldn't have lasted much longer anyway."

"You're not gonna get revenge?" there was a scathing tone to the boy's voice and Mana felt compelled to glance back over to the small form. There was a scowl on the child's face as he gazed over at Mana, as though he couldn't believe that the man was so accepting of the dog's death.

"If I do that then I'll get thrown out of here and I won't get paid."

"Ugh," the boy said as though disgusted.

"I'm a newcomer after all," Mana continued, ignoring the child's disgusted tone. "And after Christmas tomorrow I'll move on to somewhere else."

The child was using one hand to support his head and was trying desperately to look as though he didn't care about any of this. He was failing miserably but he was still making the attempt. If Mana had been less perceptive he might have bought the act but he knew that it was an act. This child seemed desperate for something but Mana couldn't tell exactly what that something was. He wanted the world to think that everything was fine with him, that he didn't care.

It seemed to be a familiar act but Man couldn't place who else had used it.

Mana tilted his head to one side as he gazed at the child. The boy was gazing away from him and Mana tried hard to remember why this kid seemed so familiar to him. "Who are you anyway?"

"I do odd jobs around here," the boy said in a gruff voice. "I've brought you food before."

"Sorry," Mana apologized. "I have a terrible memory for faces."

"Hmph."

Mana's gaze shifted back to the child, who had moved closer to the small grave that he had made for the dog. The boy was covered in bruises and it looked as though someone had taken their frustrations out on him as well as the dog. Was it Cosimo? Did this little boy suspect the foul tempered clown of the dog's death because he had first hand knowledge of the man's cruelty?

"It looks like you're covered in bruises too," Mana said and, without thinking about how the child might react, licked the tip of his finger and began to scrub at the kid's face.

This did not go over well. The boy looked as though he were ready to fight when he turned toward the clown, an angry expression distorting his small features. "Ah! Damn it, get your spit off me!"

"It's disinfectant," Mana said in his own defense. "Did Cosimo beat you up too?"

"Shut up."

Mana pressed more. He had never known when to leave well enough alone although he couldn't remember who it was who had told him that. He had a vague memory of a face in his mind but it was fuzzy and he couldn't recall who it was. "Don't you have any friends?"

"Shut up!" the child snapped, louder this time. "When I get big enough I'm getting the hell out of here so I don't need any friends."

Mana thought that the child was a bit young to be so jaded and he made a funny face in an attempt to get the child to laugh at him.

It didn't work. The little boy simply stared at him as though he had lost his mind, or perhaps had never possessed one in the first place. "What are you doing?"

"You didn't think that it was funny?"

"Sorry," the little boy said, although he sounded anything but sorry. "I don't really like clowns and stuff. In fact I hate 'em."

This statement almost jarred a memory loose. Mana vaguely remembered someone else saying the same thing to him, a long time ago, but he couldn't remember who it was. And thinking about it made his head ache so he decided not to dwell on the piece of memory. It wasn't important anyway.

"Well I hate crowds and children who don't laugh."

The boy was silent for a few minutes, as though thinking about Mana's words, but when he spoke again it had nothing to do with what Mana had said to him. "Are you gonna cry? I mean he lived with you and stuff right? Aren't you sad?"

Mana produced a rope from nowhere and acted like he was going to hang himself. "I'm so sad that I could just die."

The boy didn't find this gesture funny and he was gazing at Mana as though wondering if he were mentally unstable. Sometimes Mana wondered the same thing and decided that he should get rid of the rope before he traumatized the child. "I'm sad," he said, not joking this time. "But I can't cry. Maybe my tears are all dried up but they just won't come."

The boy didn't look as though he believed the man's words but he didn't comment. "What was his name? He licked my hand yesterday, his tongue was warm."

Without warning the child began to cry, large tears rolling down his cheeks. This seemed to anger the kid for some reason and he wiped furiously at the tears. "That was all it was so... so why am I crying?"

Mana understood. His searching gaze had fallen upon the child's deformed left hand and he knew, without having to be told, that the child had suffered because of it. The dog had shown him kindness, likely the first that he had received. The dog hadn't judged him because of something that was outside of his ability to control.

Tilting his head to the side Mana gazed into the child's eyes and in those gray depths he saw a sadness that defied description. He also saw something else, the ghost of someone that he had lost long ago and that his tortured mind had forgotten until this moment. Someone precious to him.

"Allen..."

Mana hadn't realized that he'd spoken out loud until he saw that the boy was gazing at him quizzically. "How did you know my name?"

"Lucky guess," Mana said, feeling a smile spread across his face. "Hey kid, how would you like to come with me and be my assistant?"

The kid shrugged. "Anywhere's better than here."

The next morning, as the man and boy began their journey together, Mana began to whistle a long forgotten tune and, much to his surprise the child joined in. Mana was shocked by the fact that the little boy named Allen knew this song and he had the suspicion that his brother had something to do with it.

_"What have you done Allen?"_ he thought to himself as he walked along with the child trailing along behind him.

_**"You'll find out soon enough,"**_ the wind seemed to whisper back in reply.

A/N - and that's the end. Hope you enjoyed this journey into the unknown with me. It was fun to write, even if everything was wrong. Please leave a review to this final chapter and tell me what you thought. And my deepest thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story thus far. It was far more popular than I thought it would be.

The Musician: Hey, I made a reappearance.  
Mana: Not yet, he's still himself at this point.  
The Musician: Oh yea. 'shrugs'  
Mana: You know I don't think I approve of what you did.  
The Musician: 'shrugs again' too late now.


End file.
